DINNER: Mulvaney's

Mulvaney's Web site

We finally got around to checking Mulvaney's out. The first and last time there was at the pubcrawl where they were making their mozzarella right in front of us. Had to go back. We finally did, and we spent and ate more than we do anywhere we go! Talk about gluttons! We should have been in the movie "Seven" where the fat guy got bounced/offed. Anyhow- we started with Prosecco, beer, pea shoots, and posole. The posole was awesome and they were kind enough to split the order into two bowls. The pea shoots were interesting but highly pricey at $11 and very skimpy. Would skip next time. We then had the pork belly and scallops, lamb, and a pasta dish with mushrooms. All were excellent; the small plates were generous. The pork belly scrumptious. The red wine, an old vine zin, went well with all. The decaf coffee was the best I've ever had. The only loser of the meal was our dessert; we misordered. Will order the ding dong next time. Why did we pass that up?

DINNER: Ambience, Sandra's take

Ambience's Web site

I couldn't wait to try Ambience after John's review so we decided to make it our Dinner Club night out restaurant. I was not disappointed and I recommend it to anyone. $45 for 5 courses (not 4 as their website says) is a steal! The inside of the restaurant is very, well, ambient. I did get lost in the maze of rooms trying to find the restroom though. To be completely honest, some of the 5 courses were better than others but none were bad. The starter course of salmon mousse brioche was my least favorite. I felt the dough and the sauces drowned out any flavor from the mousse. My lobster crème brulee (a few dollars supplement) was a delicate and slightly sweet dish. The consistency was between a light mousse and custard. It was like nothing I ever tried. I don't understand the name since it was not burned on top. The follow up to that were three cold seared lobster medallions with various sauces. It was fantastic! My next course was a crab cake that I liked just fine and a polenta cake that was delicious. The star was my main course of Chilean Sea bass perfectly cooked served over the most delicious braised leeks and arborio corn rice and served in a Chardonnay cream sauce topped with crisped beets. Out of this world!! Dessert was an equally decadent light and airy but still rich chocolate parfait with a truffle on the side. The truffle wasn't anything memorable but the parfait made me crave more. Our server was pleasant and friendly and did a great job recommending a Vignonet that paired nicely with my food. Please go check this restaurant out. It is a great dining experience.

DINNER: Ambience - Leslie's take

Ambience's Web site

John said it best when he said that Ambience in Carmichael was a "delightful find." Man, this place is good! And I have NO idea how they can offer such five star food at a prix fixe menu of five courses for $45. Our waitress started off a little shaky in the beginning (oh, that is a beer that has a "cartoon character" on it and can be sold at Trader Joes... what?), but totally pulled it out by the end. She knew this menu like the back of her hand and explained each detail of the course (often seven different dishes were brought to the table!) effortlessly. Ambience looks completely cheesey from the outside but the decor in the inside is trendy and mellow. For veggies and non-veggies alike, the options seemed endless.... We all started with the Salmon scallop mousse puffed pastry thing. The second course included beet salad, ahi tuna samplers, lobster.... just to name a few. Our table did a good job of ordering almost everything on the menu with the exception of dessert - they had this chocolate number that most couldn’t pass up - so check out other blogers for their view. I had the beet salad that was wonderful. I am a sucker for anything beets. Next course was asparagus soup with creme fraiche that I think was my favorite dish of the items I sampled. It was fresh tasting with a hint of heat. My main course was the Grilled Chilean sea bass on braised leeks, corn arborio rice with radicchio and arugula. I practically licked my plate! The fish was cooked perfectly and some how the whole dish seemed "light" not drowned in any sauce which was a refreshing change. This place isn’t just a fish and steak place — they offered rabbit, duck, and boar as well as a few other numbers. For dessert, most of the table got pulled into this chocolate-sabayon cream parfait number that was to die for. Seriously, it was a lot of food, but the portion sizes were nicely done and they timed the platings perfectly so your tummy had just enough time to digest before moving on. The hub and I decided that we are already going back.... perhaps for Valentine’s day? (Hint! Hint!)

DINNER: Ambience

Ambience's Web site

Ambience Restaurant is a surprising and delightful find – right in the middle of an unassuming strip mall in Carmichael, which we managed to find in the pouring rain thanks to our bossy Garmin navigator. Apropos of the name, the interior is casually elegant, with several rooms, some with booths, adding to the sense of place and privacy. The menu is prix fixe at $45, and has five courses. As we were soon to learn, this may be one of the best deals in the Sacramento area. Several of the courses allowed for multiple options, so do not be concerned that you will be boxed into what the chef thought you should eat that evening. Bernadette had the baby beet salad as a first course, and raved about it. My lobster crème brule came in two parts and was topped with a dollop of caviar. Say. No. More. My main course, the wild boar, was excellent; although I had to get over the guilt of eating beef that was flown in from New Zealand … I’ll offset the carbon with a few trips to work on my bike. Bernadette’s sea bass was similarly excellent, but she regretted smothering it in the herbed butter dollop that topped it. Since I was driving, it was probably OK that Ambience does not offer a wine pairing menu to accompany each course; Bernadette was initially disappointed … until she tasted the Cold Creek chardonnay which put her in a very good mood. Overall, we were just as satisfied walking out of Ambience as we have been walking out of The Kitchen, Ella, Biba, and any of the other “event” restaurants in Sacramento. The service was knowledgeable and attentive, but not obnoxiously so, which added to our very positive experience. So, if your reconnoitering skills are good, do try this little gem in the middle of suburbia. It is worth the trip.

DINNER: Roxy's

I'll make this short, but Roxy's is a fun and fancy western-themed restaurant on Fair Oaks Blvd. Thursday night they have special burger and brew specials. I got to make my own lamb burger with very yummy and diverse condiments! Don't know how much vegetarian fare is available, though. This place is very meat oriented since the owners own Lucky Dog Ranch. Most of the meat is from their ranch or other local places. I will go back!

DINNER: Plan B

Plan B's Web site

After a long awaited date night, we finally booked a sitter for Saturday night to make it happen. Chris picked the spot - a hip little french joint just around the corner from our house called Plan B. This place was AMAZING. From the decor to the service to the food - 5 stars all the way (even when the guy who was a few scotches in knocked over our almost empty bottle of wine while walking to his table on to my almost finished fish plate special - within seconds two servers cleared my plate and brought me an almost full portion of the special!) It was such a wonderful dinner I almost can’t even remember what we ate. Oh yes, after ordering cocktails (margarita and a champagne split) we started with the butter salad with walnuts, Roquefort and sun-dried cherries. This was simple and delish. Our waiter (who was 100% french, accent and all) was excellent with suggestions. Knowing that this place was famous for their mussels, we asked which dish was the best as they offered six different mussel plates. He recommended the nantaise (butter, shallots, and creme fraiche) without hesitation. This was wonderful - I could have drank the sauce alone. The mussels were fresh tasting and not fishy. The dish also was the perfect size, plenty for two, even three people. The dish was accompanied by pommes frites which were seasoned with oregano. No need for catchup with all this yummyness going around. I ordered the fish special. Honestly, I cannot even recall the two types of fish — they were two that I had never heard of before – but we aren’t talking our standard salmon, halibut or ahi tuna here. So light and with a texture that I would have never thought of. Again our waiter highly suggested this special (and I usually go for the fish special, anyway) and being he was so right on with his other suggestions how could I refuse. Chris had the lambchops which he said were to die for. I took several fork-fulls of his side of ratatouille and thought it was excellent. Our waiter also made an excellent wine selection - a pinot noir from the Alexander valley. We didn’t grab dessert because we were off to catch a movie. This place is a neighborhood gem and I really hope it sticks around. It’s got that kind of downtown trendish feel, so you can get all glammed up if you choose to, but since its nestled between the neighborhoods of Arden Park and Willhaggin, it doesn’t have that crazy pick-me-up clientele. We both decided that we would be coming back, both for dinner and/or also for a night cap on the way home. These guys know their wine and food. Now go and enjoy! Go!

DINNER: Cyrus

Cyrus Restaurant's Web site

It doesn't get much better than this. Cyrus is not in Sacramento, but it's a couple hours away (in wine country) should you have a special occasion. I won't write up a proper review -- that'd be way too long considering we had the eight-course tasting menu. Plus some champagne and caviar to start off. And there were a few special "bites" that showed up in between courses, too. I just want to say that my dinner at Cyrus was absolutely incredible. I ate every single thing that came my way. As I was leaving, I was surprised that I wasn't overly stuffed -- after all those courses. Then I realized we had been there for six hours! Ah, that's why. Well, the service is impeccable. The dining room is elegant and cozy. But it's really about the food. And the wine. If you're making the drive and spending the money and time for a place like Cyrus, you really must do the wine pairing menu, it adds layers of flavor to an amazing meal. John and I shared the wine pairing (he was driving). But if you space it out like we did, I don't think all those half glasses add up to too much. Cyrus shares the building with the Mars Hotel -- I think we'll spend the night there next time we go. And I hope that's soon! Maybe John will do his own review on Cyrus for those who want to know more ... (I know he's dying to write about the Wagyu beef.)